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FAQ

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Fashion Image Institute provides enterprise training courses on aspects of fashion, professional image and personal style. Our e-learning courses suit the professional consultant in need of refined training, the back-to-work Mom in need of re-training, students wishing to pursue a new career or people in search of professional and personal enrichment. Online course time varies per user and you can study at your own pace on your own computer.

Due to the ever changing nature of the fashion consulting industry, we add certification courses as the market demands so check back often to review our latest courses.

See the list of commonly asked questions below for more detailed information about our courses and how to take them.

Not sure which course to take? Here is a very brief explanation of the career choices available to you:

Fashion Stylist A fashion stylist works primarily with editorial, retail, photography and entertainment clients and occasionally with one-on-one celebrity clients. Their training and education is slanted toward developing a strong visual sense, understand color, proportion and the principles and elements of design.

Image Consultant Works primarily with individual clients (private) on their appearance standards. Can go into niche markets and consult with corporate clients, do personal shopping, closet edits, wardrobe planning. Education and training slants toward understanding body shape, fit, tailoring, color, hair and personality traits.

Wardrobe Stylist A Wardrobe Stylist is an expert at organizing wardrobe. Whether for individual clients and their closets or studio work for photo shoots, fashion shows or editorial, they offer services that encompass clothing organization skills, fashion coordination, mixing and matching clothing, styling for fashion shows and photo shoots, closet curating and editing, line rack organization. They are experts at identifying client clothing and accessory needs and offer shopping services for both male and female clients.

COURSES:

question What is an online course?
answer

Online courses offer students image training hours they need for association membership and education. At FII we provide these learners with eLearning courses for CEU credit (see more about CEU earning below). When students purchase a course they are sent links to a web portal where a course has been docked for them. Students choose a password and the webpage is theirs for the duration (12 weeks) of the course. Students have access to their website 24/7 so whenever they choose to study is up to them. One hour a day or one day a week, it is entirely up to the student. There is no average "time on the course" and study times vary off-line as students must read all manuals and learn the material since much of it appears again on the final exam.

Students can study on mobile devices such as iPhone, iPad, Android if they have downloaded Flash to Mobile (free at Adobe.com)and can open both Word and PDF documents. Once on their mobile students can view the course and interact. Optionally students can print the course textbooks from a desk top.

The course contains audio, visual, video, quizzes, interactive exercises, and more PLUS all books and manuals (review the video on each course description to learn more) and all materials to be downloaded for reference while on the course. Because we are eco-conscious we designed the course to hold all materials. There are NO physical books, CD's, paperwork, etc. that are sent to you. Everything you need to complete this course is included on your webpage once you access it. There are no shipping charges for online courses. Final forms and certificates are all digitally delivered.

How long does each course take? Can I do the course quickly?
answer

Students have up to 12 weeks to complete the course they purchase. This does not mean that it will take 12 weeks to finish. Since these courses are designed to train the consultant to begin working professionally and successfully we encourage a slow pace. While we do not recommend students go quickly through the course, there are some learners who can grasp the material and have managed to complete all the course requirements within one week:

Required study hours are as follows:

For a 1.0 CEU course = ten hours of recorded time on the course
For a 2.0 CEU course = twenty hours of recorded time on the course
For a 3.0 CEU course = thirty hours of recorded time on the course
and so on.

Students who do NOT purchase CEU's and have no need to earn CEU's DO NOT HAVE A TIME CONSTRAINT and can complete the course as fast as they wish.

AICI (Association of Image Consultants International) Continuing Education approval policies are rigorously followed during the development of all FII's online education programs. Courses are developed to meet the industry standards and guidelines and are designed to meet AICI's core competencies for image consultant study, CEU awarding and certification. All students who succesfully pass the course and are awarded CEU's will also receive their FII BADGE for use on their web-site and badge pack (see FII BADGE PROGRAM link below).

Additionally our courses are tested by certified instructors and submitted for board review with FII's stringent testing panels. These panels meet every six months to review each course, testing the learner outcomes stated in the original training planner.

Learning Management Course Design Standards for e-learning are used in the creation of all courses. This process is a 12 to 18 month endeavor. Graphic artists, eLearning developers, video producers and photographers are hired to organize and create the elements for the course. Image editors are recruited to create course imagery. Web administrators are enlisted to publish and monitor student activity.

CERTIFICATION, ILU's AND CEU's:

question How are the courses offered?
answer

e-Course / On-line /Awarding Certification - all courses offer professional certification.

All students are awarded ILU's (International Learning Units) upon course completion at no additional charge. One course = 1 ILU.

e-Course / On-line /CEU - Continuing Education Unit + Certification CEU's are offered to students who need education credits to maintain their certification status with the Association of Image Consultants. CEU's can be added to your order by clicking "Add CEU's"

Optional
In Person – make arrangements to study at Fashion Image Institute Studio in San Francisco and get a hands-on group experience. If you want to attend courses in person please contact us at 1 (415)230-0015. Click this link "Campus Courses" to learn more about our Master Class series taught at our campus in San Francisco.

An International Learning Unit is a unit applied to successful completion of a lifelong learning course. Students on the course must meet learning outcomes. An ILU is not a time based measurement. All our online courses are competency based; learners must achieve built in outcomes and pass all quizzes with an 80% pass rate. We are an approved ILU awarding institution, a certifying institute and a professional member of LERN. Instructors are also certified in online instruction.

Yes, and all courses offered are in line with AICI's (The Association of Image Consultants) core competencies for image consultant study. All our courses are approved for earning CEU's if a student needs them (purchase "Add CEU's"). Students will be required to complete all assignments, quizzes, essays, achieve learning outcomes and pass a final exam in order to earn their CEU's.

All on-line courses offer Professional Certification from Fashion Image Institute and are considered Continuing Education and Personal Enrichment Courses for Adults

We are a proud member of I.A.C.E.T. and uphold the code of ethics for universal educational development. We are an approved ILU awarding institution.

question Are the courses tailored to geographic nuances, for example, I live in Mumbai and our culture is different from the U.S. Will this training provide me with tools to consult in my part of the world?
answer

A great question! We do get this one quite often since the nature of online learning is global in scope. Our answer is simple - the courses provide the consulant with universal knowledge about women, shape, fit, color and personality. We provide you with the tools for consulting with clients and you can customize your business your way upon graduation.

By its nature fashion consulting is about giving advice to men and women about their appearance, behaviour and communication skills. We show you how to do this in ten simple steps. Throughout the course you learn to apply these steps to the client experience. The beauty about fashion consulting is that it can cross borders, in fact, most "western" techniques are highly sought after in non-Western countries.

We do stick to basic training so as not to confuse the student and all our courses are conducted in English. Our professional instructors are trained to speak with an intonation and pace that can be easily understood by non-English speakers.

question Will this course help me certify for the AICI FLC exam?

answer Yes. Here's why -

We get this question a LOT and we recognize that students want a fast entry to First Level Certification (FLC) with AICI. We are an AICI certified educational provider. Our courses are designed around the core competencies of image consulting. You can find the list of core competencies in the FLC (First Level Certification) Exam Study Guide on AICI's website. We do not know what is in the FLC exam and, in fact, if you need to know what to study you can access this information at that site.

Both our online and campus CEU courses prepare you to be a knowledgeable, professional, certified image consultant and our courses (including all study manuals) cover every aspect of image consulting and more; how to do an image consultation, how to market your business, how to thrive in this industry, the ABC's of Image Consulting, Fashion History,(please check out the video at the bottom of the page listing to see all modules of image training involved)and more. We are confident that when you certify with us you will be prepared for your FLC - but you still need to do some work:

Once you have certification with us you are ready to start your business, get clients and testimonials. That's step one. You will need to do this to start the FLC certification process. We can prepare you for the FLC exam by providing core competency information but again, neither we, nor any other image training company out there, knows what is on the exam. The CEU (Continuing Education Unit) you achieve by taking our courses can be applied to your FLC application (step two) and does count toward your certification with AICI (we are an AICI certified educational provider.) If you are NOT purchasing CEU's your training hours while on this course can still be applied to your FLC application since we are an official AICI trainer. For example: the FLC application asks you to list your training hours with courses in image, fashion or style. You would list our courses and the hours for each course you mastered: (image consultant course = 10 hours, fashion stylist course = 10 hours) etc.

Hope this information helps you - I know it is not an easy process. That is why AICI is the gold standard in the industry for certification. I have personally been through the first two levels of AICI certification and everything I have learned I now teach to my students in the hope that they too can become image professionals!

question Are classes available online for groups?

answer Yes, classes are scheduled in advance and you can choose to teleconference with a group, participating with comments, questions and feedback. Contact us to make e-conferencing arrangements.

question Do you have language support?

answer Not at this time. All courses are written and conducted in English. However, many of our foreign students have made good use of Google Translate.

question Can I take your courses in person?

answer Yes, you are welcome to take courses at our San Francisco studio. Accommodations are your responsibility. We can provide you with hotel information. Our San Francisco location is on Union Square. Please call (415)230-0015 for more information or visit our online course schedule at the Campus Website

question Can I contact an instructor if I need help?

answer Yes, you can contact us via Skype, telephone, email or mail. Please note that our normal business hours are Monday to Friday from 9am PST to 5pm PST. If you need help outside of office hours you can leave us a message or text to (415)230-0015 and we will respond in a timely manner.

question If I sign up for an on-line course how long do I have to complete it?

answer You have 12 weeks(3 months) from the day of enrollment (purchase). This is more than enough time to complete all course work, in fact, some students can complete the course within one week. However, we don't want you to rush through but do encourage you to get certified in your chosen field promptly so you can start earning a return on your educational investment.

question How do I test once I am finished with the course?

answer All final exams are included in the course. A passing score of 85% is needed for professional certification.

PRODUCTS:

question Are there any refunds for course purchases? What if I don't like the material?

answer No. Because the materials are downloadable they cannot be returned. However, we can guarantee that you will enjoy the courses and will benefit from the learning experience. Students from around the world have successfully completed both our online studies and certification courses. Our goal is to certify professional consultants the world over so it is in our interest to see that you pass this course and start your business. We have many global students who are putting into practice what they have learned via our e-courses. See "Testimonials" for student feedback.

GENERAL:

question If I need to review my courses with you via the internet what are my options?
answer Customer care specialists are available at (415)230-0015 Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. Instructors are available via email. Due to the amount of emails we receive daily we might not get back to you immediately but we will respond to your requests within 24 hours. You can contact us via Skype at user name: gillianarmour online and if you have a web-cam we can review any part of the course with you. Please note that our normal business hours are Monday to Friday from 9am PST to 5pm PST. If you need help outside of office hours you can leave us a message or text to (415)230-0015 and we will respond in a timely manner.

We offer blended learning instruction (our instructors offer group training with computer assistance for online courses on your campus) for qualified institutions only. We do not sell our courses directly to institutions. The nature of our certifications and the awarding of Continuing Education Units is possible only through Fashion Image Institute. If you are an educator interested in adding our courses to your curriculum please contact our support team at (415) 230-0015 or email us.

question Does Fashion Image Institute offer financial assistance, scholarships or payment plans to qualified students?

answer Yes. With Fashion Image Institute's account via Paypal and "Bill Me Later" payment plans, you provide your name and an identifying number. If approved for financing your order is filled immediately. Your payments are then arranged via Paypal (restrictions and terms apply. Click below for info).

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Note: the system or equipment students use to access this course must support Java 7 Script AND Flash Video (this includes all mobile devices (iPad, iPhone or Android)
A Windows PC or Mac with at least 512 RAM
High speed internet connection preferred
Updated browsers (students on older browsers will experience issues with viewing)
Valid and current email address
Webcam and microphone
Adobe Flash Player and Java Script 7 enabled
Adobe Reader (free download at adobe.com)

Windows: Best - Internet Explorer 8 and later, Optional: Firefox 1.x and later, Safari 3 and later.
Macintosh: must have Safari 3 and later,Firefox 1.x and later installed. Optional: Chrome
Linux: Firefox 1.x and later

Please note: if you have limited experience with interactive online protocols you must contact us before taking this course. We cannot be responsible for students, who lacking basic computer knowledge, fail to complete the online course. Therefore we recommend you know your operating system and how to disable a firewall.

ORDER/ PURCHASE INFORMATION

2012-2013 © All Rights Reserved Gillian Armour Design LLC.
Agreement of Terms for Use of Internet Text:
By clicking "buy" or "send order" you (customer) acknowledge that all written materials purchased from this site are copyright protected and cannot be duplicated. All courses are copyright protected; all proprietary content is copyright protected; all text and course manuals are copyright protected. We reserve the right to cancel and void any order if purchaser is engaged in a competitive business to Fashion Image Institute. There are no shipping charges for online courses. Final forms and certificates are all digitally delivered.

PAYMENT OPTIONS

Your order is complete when final payment is processed

Within 24 hours you will receive an link via email to the web portal for the course you purchased

Once you have completed the online interactive course you will be ready for the final exam

When you have passed the exam you will digitally receive your official certification and ILU's from the Fashion Image Institute

Thank you for your purchase. We hope you enjoy your e-learning experience with us and we welcome feedback. Our mission statement: to provide the world with eLearning courses in image and fashion at affordable prices. To your success, Gillian

If I buy the online course is it the whole program or it's just a part of it? The whole program, included are all manuals, forms and information.
Are there any other charges? There are no shipping charges for online courses. Final forms and certificates are all digitally delivered.
Is there a charge for the final exam? No, the final exam is contained within the course packet you purchase and there is no additional charge.
What is the score you need to have to pass the exam? 80% and you have two times to complete it.
Do I have to go somewhere special to do the exam or it's also an online exam? No, you work from a computer and take the test online when you are ready.
Do I have a limit of time to do the course? You have up to 12 weeks (3 months) to complete the course, final projects, essays and final exams.

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